Open AccessPatching a leak in an R1 university gateway STEM course
Author(s) -
Stephen Lee,
Brian R. Crane,
Thomas Ruttledge,
Dominique Guelce,
Estella F. Yee,
Michael Lenetsky,
Matthew Caffrey,
Walter De Ath Johnsen,
Anthony Lin,
Shiqiang Lu,
Marc-Anthony Rodriguez,
Aboubacar Wague,
Kane Wu
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0202041
Subject(s) - disadvantaged , mathematics education , medical education , course evaluation , gateway (web page) , class (philosophy) , service (business) , psychology , medicine , gerontology , mathematics , higher education , computer science , political science , artificial intelligence , world wide web , law , economy , economics
A cognitively intensive companion service course has been introduced to the main fall general chemistry class at Cornell University. For years 2015 and 2016, priority students (those from groups under-represented and economically disadvantaged) show respectively improvement of +0.67 and +0.51 standard deviations in final course grade compared to priority students not in the program. Non-priority students show respectively a +0.66 and +0.62 standard deviation improvement. Progressive improvement (as measured by higher than expected Final Exam scores than what would have been expected solely from a given student’s earlier Exam 1 score) demonstrates conclusively the service course’s role in the enhanced outcomes. Progressive retention (as measured by the following year fall semester’s organic chemistry exam scores compared to what would have been expected based on a given student’s general chemistry final exam score) demonstrates that, on the average, the earlier observed progressive improvement is significantly retained in a chemistry course one year later. Preliminary retention statistics suggest a significant increase in first year to second year retention. A meta analysis of results from previously reported chemistry service courses indicate that such performance gains are difficult to achieve and hence common elements of the few effective programs may be of high value to the STEM education community.